For anyone that wants to know a little bit more about me or if you have any questions about what it is that I do exactly, then this is the place for you.
Q) What is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner (CNP)?
A) The diploma in Applied Holistic Nutrition is recognized and approved by the Certified Nutritional Practitioners Council of Canada (CNPCC) and the International Organization of Nutritional Consultants (IONC). The designation of CNP is earned exclusively by graduates of the Institute of Holistic Nutrition (IHN). CNP’s have received a diploma in Applied Holistic Nutrition after an extensive practical and theoretical program that provides them with the tools required to help their clients lead a fulfilling, balanced and whole life.
Such courses include:
- Nutrition and Health: The fundamentals
- Nutritional Pathology
- Body Metabolism
- Human Anatomy and Physiology
- Nutrition through the Lifespan
- Preventative Health Care
- Herbal Medicine
- Holistic Food Preparation
For more information on the program and school, please see here.
Q) What do you eat?
A) In a nutshell, practically anything that isn’t processed, refined or unnatural. More specifically, I believe in eating whole foods that nourish the body, mind and spirit, many times that includes chocolate! I choose not to label myself as anything, vegan, paleo, raw, gluten free, vegetarian, etc. I have gone down that path before and it caused more stress than anything. For purposes of this site, I will always label my recipes, but I do not follow one specific diet. Have a look at my recipes page and you will see exactly what I eat.
Q) Do you use any special cookware, appliances and do you think it’s necessary to have any in particular?
A) I must confess that being a holistic foodie, I have acquired some great appliances and cookware along the way! I personally could not live without my Vitamix I bought one a couple years ago and it has been so good to me ever since. I use it for making smoothies, soups, sauces, nut milks and many other beautiful creations. I also use a food processor for many recipes, a spiralizer for making great vegetable pasta and some wonderful cookware as well. I tend to use my Le Creuset cast iron dutch oven and skillet for most things, as this has proven benefits not only for cooking but nutrition-wise as well.
Q) Why don’t you post nutritional information for your recipes?
A) I used to live my life according to calorie counting and nutrition labeling and wouldn’t even begin to analyze those weird pseudo food-like substances on the package. That type of lifestyle is not for me. Personally, I believe in eating nutrient dense whole foods rather than counting calories. For example, 10 raw almonds are approximately 70 calories, whereas a can of diet coke has less than one calorie, but we know that these two things are not created equal. I think it’s high time that we start counting chemicals before we start counting calories.
Q) I don’t have a lot/any time to cook? Can I still eat healthy?
A) Anyone can eat healthy, but somewhere along the way, cooking will probably have to be a part of it. The best tips I can give you are to prepare things as much as possible before cooking, such as having all of your veggies washed and cut (if needed) ahead of time, the best time to do this is right after grocery shopping. Another tip, is to do batch cooking, where you make your meals ahead of time and freeze them for later use. Everyone is busy, that’s for sure, but if you don’t make time for your health now, most likely you will have to later.
Q) Besides food, what else do you think is important for a holistic lifestyle?
A) So many things, that’s what living holistically means! From the products you use to clean your house to the everyday products you use to clean your face, ingredients matter big time. The products you use to clean your house often times contain harsh chemicals that you end up ingesting, dumping down the drain and end up destroying the environment along the way. There are tons of better green products out there that do the same thing, as well as some fabulous homemade all natural ingredients that you can use to clean up. As for skincare, I use all natural and often organic products that don’t contain toxins or other questionable ingredients that are known hormone disruptors. Our skin is the largest organ in our body and it absorbs everything you put on it and carries it directly into the bloodstream. If you choose to wear make-up (as I do), there are some wonderful brands out there that I cannot live without. Have a look at this post all about my favourite skin care brands and my go-to products that I use daily. Then have a look at this post which is all about my favourite green makeup products that make being green and glam completely possible! An absolutely wonderful store that takes all of the guesswork out of the equation is, The Detox Market in Toronto. If you are shopping on their site online, use the code HOLISTICFOODIE10 for a discount to save you money on your purchase because being green should be easy.